Chapter 1 - School's Out

It was a dull, lifeless day of testing at school. The day where half the students are asleep because they stayed up all night studying. The day where all the intelligent kids got to strut their stuff like a proud peacock because they finish the tests first and then get to relax. But not Uryū Ishida. Yes, he knew all the answers to his tests and his mind was in it. But his heart was not.
He cast a glance at Orihime, who was staring at Ichigo walking to hand in his paper to the teacher. The look in her eyes was innocent love. Sighing, Uryū turned his attention to his paper and tried to concentrate on the essay. But, it was no easy task. He kept losing focus. He looked up at the clock. He only had fifteen minutes before the break came.
Gritting his teeth, he harvested all his energy for concentration.
In a mere two minutes, he got up and handed in his essay. He then slumped down in his seat and pulled out the book “War and Peace”.

Three minutes into break, Uryū had found himself a quiet spot in the shade of a tree. He was about to open his book, when Orihime ran up, holding a piece of notebook paper.
“Uryū! Wanna see what I’ve been working on during free time today?”
Uryū was rather startled, but nodded.
She smiled and sat next to him. Holding up the paper, she pointed to a panel. “I rewrote the story of Rapunzel out of boredom. In this panel, this giant ugly alien, named Zuugarr from the planet Yumarithia, was jealous of Rapunzel’s beauty.” (Zuugarr slightly resembled a disfigured Kon.) She pointed to the next panel. “And because she wouldn’t marry him, he locked her up in the tall tower. He told her that the only way she could be freed, was if she decided to marry him or she was rescued. But, he was clever. The tower was too tall for her to be saved.” (Rapunzel resembled Orihime.) She pointed to panel three. “Rapunzel didn’t want to be trapped there forever, nor did she wasn’t to marry Zuugarr, so she made friends with super-genius bird named Jimmy. (Who quite resembled Uryū somehow.) She pointed to panel four. “Jimmy would travel to the city each day and trade his knowledge to a little shop lady for barrel monkeys. He then gave Rapunzel the barrel monkeys.” (The little shop lady looked like Rukia.) She then pointed to panel five. “Rapunzel linked the little monkeys together everyday until the long line reached the ground.” (The barrel monkeys looked like Chad. Poor Chad.) She pointed to the sixth panel.” And then, Prince Charming arrived on a red polar bear named Ricky and helped Rapunzel down the barrel monkeys.” (Uryū couldn’t tell whom Prince Charming looked like because it showed him from behind, but the red polar bear was definitely Renji.) She then flipped the paper over for the last panel. “And Rapunzel and Prince Charming were married and lived happily ever after! The end.” She smiled broadly at Uryū who remained mute. Prince Charming had resembled Ichigo.
“Did you like it?”
“It…it was very creative.”
“Really? I’m going to go show Tatsuki!” She got up and was gone.
Uryū, dejectedly, slowly stood up from his spot. He made his way to the roof of the school and looked out onto the ground below. He could see Orihime proudly showing Tatsuki her paper.
Oh, how he would do anything to get recognition from her. To be the prince instead of the bird. The bird that was forgotten when Rapunzel and Prince Charming was married. Forgotten and all alone.
Uryū could almost feel the tears about swell up, but held them back as he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around, and there stood Keigo.
“Keigo?” Uryū was shocked to see Keigo standing there.
Keigo trudged to Uryū’s side and peered over the building. “Women watching or thought searching?”
“Though searching.”
Keigo nodded and sighed. “Tatsuki would never like me…”
Uryū was almost lost for words. “Why did you pick me to discuss this with?”
Keigo shrugged his shoulders. “You just seem to be having problems like me.”
“What happened to the hyperactive Keigo that Ichigo abuses day after day?”
“Hidden away for now.”
Uryū remained silent. He had never seen Keigo act this way before.
“Tatsuki is so serious and…” Keigo again looked over at Tatsuki.
Uryū was about to speak when the bell beckoned them back to testing.

After school, Uryū scanned the crowd for Orihime, but didn’t see her anywhere. He figured that she would probably stalk Ichigo on his way home, but he was mistaken.
“I didn’t want to interrupt Ichigo.” Orihime said from behind him. “He looked like he was in deep conversation with Rukia. I decided to ask you would walk me home…if you don’t mind.”
Uryū was startled and could feel the heat begin to rise in his face. He shyly pushed up his glasses and nodded. “I don’t mind.”
Orihime smiled and moved closer to Uryū as they started on toward her house.

“So,” Orihime decided to strike up a conversation since Uryū was being so silent. “What did you think of Misato’s test?”
Uryū readjusted his glasses. “Well, it was quite easy.”
Orihime didn’t like his short answer, so she pressed on. “I thought that the essay we had to write on World War II was hard and a big bore.”
“It wasn’t all that bad. I thought it was an easy topic.”
Orihime furrowed her eyebrows. “Easy? Gosh, you really are intelligent. So you don’t just study to make good grades. It all comes naturally, doesn’t it?”
Uryū nodded. “Yeah. As natural as the sun rising and setting.”
Orihime laughed. “I wonder how well Ichigo did on the essay.”
Uryū didn’t have a comment to her statement.
“Do you think that he had trouble with the essay?”
“I’m pretty sure that he did fine.” Uryū stiffened his posture and continued to walk Orihime home.
Orihime didn’t seem to realize the uneasiness in Uryū’s tone. Once she saw her front door, she rushed up the steps. “Thank you for walking me home, Uryū!” She waved goodbye and shut the door.
Uryū took one last look at her house, and turned around to walk home.

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